| Universiti Putra Malaysia

In and Out of the Examination Hall to Nurse Baby

 By: Noor Eszereen Juferi

 

SERDANG, Oct 30 – Sitting for her final examination (CE Exam) 20 days after giving birth to her second child while at the same time thinking about her child who was being taken care of by her family members who waited outside the examination hall, did not prevent Nur Hafisya Mad Ali from getting her master's degree.

 

"Every half an hour I had to leave the examination hall to breastfeed my daughter, Melissa Aisyah Heryzal, who was being taken care of by family members who waited outside the hall because at that time, my husband was outstation," she said.

 

Nur Hafisya, 31, a mother of two children received her Master of Corporate Communications at the 42nd Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Convocation Ceremony here.

 

She said that she continued with her studies throughout her pregnancy as she wanted to ensure that she was able to graduate on time. She added that during her pregnancy, there were some who did not support her decision to continue her studies.

 

"I told myself to remain positive and took those words as a challenge to complete my studies with excellence," she said.

 

Her husband, Heryzal Jamari, 32, her family and parents-in-law supported her wish to pursue a master's degree in February 2016.

 

"Before I got married, I promised my parents that I would get a master’s degree. After I got married and have my own career and income, I was then confident to start my studies at UPM, " she said.

 

Nur Hafisya chose the Distance Learning programme (PJJ) which involved weekend classes as it was easier for her to divide the time between family and career. "Time management is very important, and every night I disciplined myself to focus on reviewing and completing assignments set by the lecturers," she said.

 

Nur Hafisya, an Assistant Registrar at the Corporate Communication Division, Islamic University of Malaysia, Cyberjaya also received encouragement from her Head of Department to continue her studies.

 

The saying that ‘wanita belajar akhirnya masuk ke dapur’ (even educated women end up in the kitchen) is less relevant now because women are now the backbone of the family. "Women today need to be knowledgeable and be self-sufficient and should not give up on their ambition. However, they must not abandon their families as family blessings are important in achieving success," she said. - UPM

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